


The Clarity of Morning

by MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: M/M, TV Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 07:06:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7158860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy/pseuds/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bert does a favor for a friend with unexpected results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Clarity of Morning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fire_Sign](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Sign/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Whims and Inconsistencies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6941638) by [CollingwoodGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CollingwoodGirl/pseuds/CollingwoodGirl), [Fire_Sign](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Sign/pseuds/Fire_Sign), [gaslightgallows (hearts_blood)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hearts_blood/pseuds/gaslightgallows), [Heavyheadedgal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavyheadedgal/pseuds/Heavyheadedgal), [jasbo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasbo/pseuds/jasbo), [Meldanya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meldanya/pseuds/Meldanya), [MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy/pseuds/MercurialBianca_TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy), [PlayfulMay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlayfulMay/pseuds/PlayfulMay). 



> Prompt fill for the TV Trope: "We slept in the same bed for space reasons but now we’re just waking up and there’s something about your bleary eyes and mussed hair"
> 
> Huge thanks to @gaslightgallows for letting me borrow her original character Sam Elsworth. This is sort of a prologue to the beginning this relationship.

_The stag chased him through the woods. He was a younger buck but still had a good set of of antlers that seemed formidable to him. Especially when he looked down and realize he was only in his union suit. They dashed through the woods, running this way and that to avoid fallen branches and thorny bushes. Just when it felt like the forest was closing in around him he stumbled through a thicket and came out into a clearing._

_He tried to catch his breath. The stag appeared. Suddenly everything slowed down. The stag walked toward him at an achingly slow pace. His heart was racing, yet it wasn’t the same fear of the chase. Something had changed, something was different about the stag. The stag began to shimmer and shift before his eyes and became a man._

_He felt his back bump up against a tree. A large ancient tree with an enormous trunk. The man’s arms reached out and came to rest on either side of him. He felt pinned in place even though the man had not laid a hand upon him._

_The last thing to come into view was the man’s face…._

Bert woke up with a start. His heart was racing. He’d been having the most peculiar dream involving a stag chasing him through a forest. Bert rarely remembered his dreams. He’d always considered himself lucky for not remembering. Thommo’s dreams had haunted him for years after they’d come home from the war.

Then Bert remembered the man. The stag had turned into a man! The man/stag had pinned him to a tree. And, it was at that moment he realized he had an unfamiliar arm slung across his chest.  

++++

He’d been dispatched to fetch Phryne’s friend Sam Elsworth from a writing retreat in the mountains. Even though he didn’t officially work for her any more he was happy to do favors now and again since he and Angela had moved back to Melbourne. Cec owned the cab now, but had to tend to Alice and the baby, so Bert went in his place. A sudden snow storm had made the road unsafe to drive through at night, so Bert decided they should seek shelter instead. Fortunately, they managed to grab a room at a cabin that had been just off the main road. The widow who ran the property had been sympathetic and set them up in a spare room in a part of the house she clearly didn’t use that often. It was moderately appointed with just the basics of a wash basin, two simple chairs, a fireplace, and a nightstand next to the lone bed in the room, topped with a few blankets. It wasn’t much, but it had a charm that seemed inherent in old mountain cabins.

Bert had focused on creating a fire to ward off the evening’s chill, and was content to make it an early night. Sam, insisted on filling the evening with stories. Their small talk in the car had been strained. Bert considered Sam the worst kind of toff. One who had married into the high life and spent the better part of his days having _big thoughts_ that he had the luxury of writing down.

And he used a lot of big fancy sounding words. Bert hated being talked down to by anyone. Just because he’d had to drop out of school early to take care of his mom, didn’t mean he wasn’t smart. Once the revolution came to Australia, it would level the playing field and fancy sounding, handsome, layabouts like Sam Elsworth would get what was coming to them.

Handsome? Where had that come from? Bert chalked it up to the cold and huddled closer to the fire.

“Bert, I never said you weren’t a smart chap, whatever gave you that impression?”

Bert groaned, had he really just told off Miss Fisher’s fancy friend? One of these days, his mouth was going to finally get him into something he’d regret. Wait, did he say everything he had been thinking out loud. Oh God. He needed a drink, a very stiff drink.

“Um, sorry mate if I offended, clearly the cold has me more out of sorts than I thought.”

“Luckily for you, we gadabout toffs, tend to have our priorities in order when we pack.” He looked at Bert with mischief in his eyes and brandished a bottle of whiskey from his overnight bag.

Bert couldn’t help but smile in appreciation as Sam poured out two generous measures of the amber liquid and passed one over to him. Bert couldn’t quite read the look on Sam’s face, nor the look in his piercing blue eyes and decided it best not to dwell on either. If Sam had heard him call him handsome he was choosing to ignore it. And that was probably best.

“Alright, even I have to admit that was a pretty clever move Mr. Elsworth.”

“Dear god man, my father is Mr. Elsworth! Call me Sam. And I will take that as very high praise indeed from you Albert.”

Maybe this guy wasn’t so that bad after all.

“Albert? No, if I am calling you Sam, you better call me Bert.”

After that, the evening had passed much more genially. They found they had plenty of authors they both enjoyed and talked enthusiastically about revolutionary theory until they were both pleasantly tipsy. They talked a little about their relationships and Bert was only slightly surprised to find out that Sam and Lili had an open marriage.

“Don’t take this the wrong way mate, but what the hell are you thinking? That Lili of yours is an absolute stunner, and takes damn fine care of you. How could you do better than her?”

“That’s not what it’s about at all, Bert. Although no, I know perfectly well that I couldn't do better than Lili Elsworth, she’s a goddess inside and out. You see though, she’s allowed to pursue her sexual interests and I am allowed to pursue mine. The best though, is when we have shared interests. Oh that Bert, is a bit of heaven on earth. Lili and I are crazy about each other, and at the end of the day, no one else is going to come between that.

Are you very scandalized Bert? I can’t tell.”

“Live and let live has always been my motto. Plus, I worked for Miss Fisher and I believe you know better than most about her appetites.”

The two men shared a knowing glance.

“Plus, it ain’t like Angela and I haven’t talked about, _other pursuits_. It’s just, we’ve been thinking about them as fantasies. Not sure whether either of us is prepared to act on ‘em. That part I have to wrap my head around.

Anyway, we should really get an early start tomorrow, mate. So, I’m going to hit the sheets. We didn’t talk about his until now, but I’m assuming we are both fine sharing this bed?”

“Of course we are sharing that bed. I hardly expect you to sleep on the hearth like Cinderella. I’m a married man, you are practically married to that Angela of yours. Nice work on that by the way.”

Bert had to smile at the thought of Angela. She was a looker for sure, but she was more than that. They were still chasing each other around her house like newlyweds, unable to keep their hands off each other. And he felt like he could tell her anything, anything at all. Even about his occasional unorthodox desires. And she never judged him. Not once. What he’d told Sam was true, they’d spent hours talking about sexual fantasies. He’d never done that before. It was amazing.

“I must say though, going to sleep now is dreadfully pragmatic of you Bert. Although, sadly I imagine I am not too far behind you, I do find the warmth of the fire has made me a bit drowsy. But, our conversation has sparked an idea and I want to get on paper before I forget it. So, go ahead and trundle off. I’ll try not to disturb you.”

“Mate, after the army, it’ll take a lot more than you crawling into bed next to me to disturb my sleep. Until morning then!”

“G’night Bert”

 

+++++++++++

 

Alright Bert, Sam is married and used to sharing a bed with someone. We were both a little tipsy last night, so surely that’s why’s snuggled up next to you right now with his arm across your chest.

That explains him, but what explains that, Bert? Bert was mortified to feel himself semi-hard at the moment and was very glad for the blankets now covering him. For Pete’s sake Bert, not only is he married, but married to that ethereal blonde beauty, Lili. Thinking of Lilli had been a terrible idea. He was now completely hard.

“Bert, did you have a bad dream, or do you always wake up looking slightly terrified?”

Bert turned his head at the sound and found himself staring into Sam’s eyes. His hair was bed-tousled, he had the first inklings of scruff on his face, and the voice that spoke was thick with sleep. If he’d thought he was hard before, now he was painfully so.

“Morning Sam, I had an odd dream that woke me up is all. I think your arm may have startled me a bit.” He tried to chuckle and make light of things, but even he could hear the strain in his voice.

Sam didn’t move his arm, but did rise up on his other elbow so that he was looking down at Bert.

“Sorry about that mate. Certainly wouldn’t want to startle you.”

Bert swallowed hard and he could feel his heartbeat speed up. He distracted himself from Sam’s closeness by reaching over and grabbing his whiskey glass on the nightstand. He took a small sip.

“Uh, morning breath and all that.”

Sam gave him a sly smile, took a sip from the glass and then set it back down on the nightstand.

“Very good thinking Bert.”

“Um, so those other interests you mentioned last night?”

“Yes Bert?”

Bert bit his own lip. He was nervous along with being aroused. He’d only been with a man during his army days. And even though they continued sleeping together after the war was finished, he still considered it part of his war experience.

“Are you considering pursuing one of those right now. Sam?”

“Yes Bert, I believe I am. How do you feel about that?”

Then Sam leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. Sam pulled back to look at Bert, the desire in his eyes was searing. Bert’s other male lover had rarely been tender so this felt deliciously different.

Bert’s look was sheepish. “Um, I feel like I am going to get into trouble with Angela.”

“Why, because of you being with another man?”

“No, because you’re one of _her_ fantasies too.”

“Mmm, I will have to keep that in mind. We can definitely revisit that later. I find my current interests though lie solely in discovering your fantasies, Bert.”

They smiled at each other and then moved as one towards another kiss.

“Well, this is an excellent start, Sam.”

Sam reached under the blankets and wrapped his hand around Bert’s cock.

“So is this Bert.”


End file.
